lavatory

American  

[lav-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈlæv əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

plural

lavatories

1. a room fitted with equipment for washing the hands and face and usually with flush toilet facilities.

2. a flush toilet; water closet.

3. a bowl or basin with running water for washing or bathing purposes; washbowl.

4. any place where washing is done.

---

lavatory British  

/ -trɪ, ˈlævətərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: toilet.   water closet.   WC. 

   1. a sanitary installation for receiving and disposing of urine and faeces, consisting of a bowl fitted with a water-flushing device and connected to a drain

   2. a room containing such an installation

2. the washing place in a convent or monastic establishment

---

Etymology

Origin of lavatory

1325–75; Middle English lavatorie < Late Latin lavātōrium washing-place, equivalent to Latin lavā ( re ) to wash + -tōrium -tory ²

Example Sentences

One of the residents admitted to breaking the lavatory bowl in October 2023.

From BBC

He urges athletes to choose window seats in the middle of the aircraft, away from the most-trafficked areas—the front, where everyone enters, and the rear, near the galley and the lavatories.

From The Wall Street Journal

Much of the action in the show takes place in the lavatory, with the women plotting to make money or manipulate their partners.

From BBC

"We take this opportunity to urge passengers to use lavatories only for the purposes that they are meant for," it said.

From BBC

Others associated the slogan with demand for lavatories.

From BBC

Related Words

• latrine
• restroom
• toilet